Department for Transport

Roads: Repairs and Maintenance

lord browne of belmont: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made with the introduction of "pot-hole spotter systems".

baroness sugg: The Department for Transport announced in January 2017 that it was undertaking an innovative trial on the way potholes are identified and managed. The Department for Transport is working in partnership with Thurrock, York and Wiltshire councils and two private sector SME’s, Soenecs and Gaist, to undertake the pothole spotter trial which allows high-definition cameras to be mounted to refuse collection vehicles to help identify road surface problems before they become potholes. Data has been collected from the trial and is currently being assessed. A “lessons learned” report will be published by end March 2019.

Bus Services

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many of the new metro mayors have made use of the bus franchising powers granted to them by the Bus Services Act 2017.

baroness sugg: The Government is not aware of any metro mayors who have implemented a bus franchising scheme and there is no central record of this information. Some Mayoral Combined Authorities may be in the process of preparing a bus franchising scheme, but the Bus Services Act does not require any intervention or approval by central Government as part of this process. Information on this topic could best be obtained by contacting Mayoral Combined Authorities.

Aviation

lord trefgarne: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they intend to publish their aviation strategy Green Paper.

baroness sugg: The Government is intending to publish the Aviation Strategy Green Paper before the end of this year. The green paper publication will begin a 16 week period of consultation.

Large Goods Vehicles: Safety

lord bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answerby Baroness Suggon 15 November (HL11194), what proposals they have to require the retrofitting of basic safety equipment, including sideguards, to heavy goods vehicles.

baroness sugg: Most heavy goods vehicles are already required to be fitted with sideguards when new. The Department has previously considered legislating to require sideguards to be retrofitted to specific heavy goods vehicles, but an impact assessment determined that such a policy intervention would incur disproportionate cost. Work is now focused on amending the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 to ensure that, where sideguards are required on new vehicles, they are retained and maintained throughout the vehicle’s working life. I anticipate these new proposals will be published during 2019.

Department of Health and Social Care

Medicine: Research

baroness kennedy of cradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of work being undertaken to create synthetic cells.

lord o'shaughnessy: In 2014 the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) provided £1,213,385 in funding for a research study on creating synthetic cells to support cancer treatments. This is due to conclude in 2018. Additionally, in 2017/18 the NIHR provided £406,071 in clinical research support for 26 studies on the creation or use of synthetic cells in areas such as cancer, dementia and neurodegeneration, paediatrics, diabetes, hepatology, musculoskeletal disorders, ophthalmology and reproductive health.Synthetic biology is also an area of strategic interest for UK Research and Innovation, through the Medical Research Council (MRC), the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).The MRC has invested £9.5 million, from April 2017 to March 2022, into two programmes at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge. These focus on the incorporation of a range of different amino acids into proteins for novel applications.The BBSRC and EPSRC have in part funded the Synthetic Yeast genomes (Sc2.0) project collaboration between the University of Edinburgh and Imperial College London, as well as a project at the University of Bristol which is working to create a minimal version of a cell (protocell).

Vaccination: Research

baroness kennedy of cradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what support they are providing for (1) vaccine research, and (2) the development of cheaper versions of existing vaccines.

lord o'shaughnessy: The Department’s National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including the development of cheaper vaccines. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money and scientific quality. In all disease areas, the amount of NIHR funding depends on the volume and quality of scientific activity.The NIHR and the Medical Research Council both have a wide portfolio of research activity in vaccines which cover clinical trials for new vaccines, new technologies, ways of improving uptake and cost effectiveness.The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation is an expert advisory group which advises United Kingdom health departments on immunisation. When recommending vaccines, they are required to show that cost-effectiveness criteria are met. This helps to keep vaccine prices down.

Medical Records: Databases

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people used the national data opt-out online service from NHS Digital to (1) opt out,and (2) to opt back in having previously opted out, in October 2018.

lord o'shaughnessy: The online national data opt-out service was visited by 7,106 people during October 2018. Of these 453 set a new opt-out, and 113 chose to reverse an existing opt-out.

Gambling: Children

the lord bishop of st albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many children under the age of 18 were treated for gambling related health conditions in each year from 2000.

lord o'shaughnessy: Information on the number of children under the age of 18 receiving treatment for gambling related health problems is not held centrally.

Gambling

lord chadlington: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much they estimate gambling-related harm cost the NHS in England in (1) 2013, (2) 2014, (3) 2015, (4) 2016, and (5) 2017.

lord o'shaughnessy: The Government has made no estimate of the cost of gambling related harm to the National Health Service.

Prosthetics

baroness hodgson of abinger: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many amputee sockets the NHS fitted in (1) 2013, (2) 2014, (3) 2015, (4) 2016, and (5) 2017; and in each year, what was the cost of casting and fitting these.

baroness hodgson of abinger: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the average (1) time, and (2) number of appointments between the casting process in the NHS to create an amputee test socket and the final fit of the sockets.

baroness hodgson of abinger: To ask Her Majesty's Government what types of casting processes the NHS currently use to create amputee test sockets.

baroness hodgson of abinger: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many sockets did not fit amputees following the NHS casting process and needed to be discarded in (1) 2013, (2) 2014, (3) 2015, (4) 2016, and (5) 2017; and how much this cost the NHS in each of those years.

baroness hodgson of abinger: To ask Her Majesty's Government when the last review by the NHS of the provision of amputee sockets, including (1) the cost, and (2) methods of fitting, was carried out.

baroness hodgson of abinger: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many complaints the NHS received about the casting, fitting and provision of amputee sockets in (1) 2013, (2) 2014, (3) 2015, (4) 2016, (5) 2017; and of those, how many were upheld.

lord o'shaughnessy: This information is not collected centrally.

Ministry of Justice

Custody: Children

lord wigley: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether children of single parent families would fall within the provisions of article 10(1)(e)(iii) of thedraft agreement on the withdrawal of the UK from the EU in circumstances where the custody of a child has been disputed.

lord keen of elie: It is the Government’s intention to implement this aspect of the Withdrawal Agreement in the UK by way of the EU Settlement Scheme, which will allow EU citizens living in the UK before we leave the EU to apply for status to remain once the UK has left. However, when determining the custody of a child in the UK whether or not the parent is a single parent is not a relevant factor. It will continue to be the case that the court with jurisdiction will decide on custody (with whom the child is to live and when) on the facts of the individual case.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Legislation

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government, what legislation from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, and its predecessor department, has been passed into law since 1 June 2010 but is still waiting to be brought into force.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The table below shows legislation that has been passed since 2010-2018. Local Government Act 2010Commenced in fullLocalism Act 2011Commenced apart from ss 27(6)(k), 109(1)(a), 180(4)-(5), Schedule 8 (in part)Local Government Finance Act 2012Commenced in fullPrevention of Social Housing Fraud Act 2013Commenced in fullGrowth and Infrastructure Act 2013Commenced in apart from s 34Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014Commenced apart from ss 42 (partially commenced)Self-build and Custom Housebuilding Act 2015Commenced in fullInfrastructure Act 2015 (Part 5 only)Commenced apart from s30Housing and Planning Act 2016Commenced apart from ss1-8, 57-63, 118-123, 125, 127, 138, 155, 158, 159, 196(2)(b), 199, 207-211, Schedules 7-8, 13 (in part), 18 (in part) and 20Cities and Local Government (Devolution Act 2016Commenced in fullNeighbourhood Planning Act 2017Commenced apart from ss, 7, 8 (in part), 13, 14, 18 – 28, 39, 40 and Schedule 3 (in part)Rating (Property in Common Occupation) and Council Tax (Empty Dwellings) Act 2018Commenced in fullNon-Domestic Rating (Nursery Grounds) Act 2018Commenced in fullTelecommunications Infrastructure (Relief from Non-Domestic Rates) Act 2018Commenced in full Note: list does not include Private Members’ Bills supported by the Department and does not refer to Wales-only provisions.

Ministry of Defence

Shipbuilding

lord west of spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 19 November (HL11342), whether the shipbuilding strategy was based on an assumption that the Solid Support Ships would be built in the UK or overseas.

earl howe: The National Shipbuilding Strategy was clear that the Fleet Solid Support Ships will be subject to international competition. It makes no assumptions about where the ships will be built.We have encouraged UK companies to participate in the competition and have been pleased with the positive engagement with UK shipyards and the wider supply chain to date.For reasons of national security there will be a separate competition, open only to UK companies, to integrate sensitive communications equipment and defensive weapons.

Warships: Procurement

lord west of spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many warships are (1) currently being built, (2) on order but for which building has not started, and (3) planned to be ordered in the next year.

earl howe: There are currently two warships in build: HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Glasgow. Two warships are on order with build yet to commence: HMS Cardiff and HMS Belfast.We plan to award a contract for five Type 31e frigates by December 2019 and a contract for the second batch of five Type 26 frigates in the early 2020s.

Armed Forces: Prosthetics

baroness hodgson of abinger: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many members of the British Armed Forces had injuries that required amputee sockets in the last (1) five, (2) 10, and (3) 15 years.

earl howe: The following numbers of UK Armed Forces personnel received a prosthetic limb in the last five, 10 and 15 Financial Years (FY): PeriodNumber of Personnel Receiving a Prosthetic LimbFY 2013-14 to 2017-1847FY 2008-09 to 2017-18308FY 2003-04 to 2017-18356 This includes both Regular and Reservist Armed Forces personnel, injured in operational and non-operational environments. It does not include those who only received a digit prosthetic or those who had an amputation since leaving the Armed Forces.

Home Office

Home Office: Legislation

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government, what legislation from the Home Office has been passed into law since 1 June 2010 but is still waiting to be brought into force.

baroness williams of trafford: 2010/2012 SessionPolice Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 – law in force except:• s.121 (not yet in force)• s.150 (partially in force)• Schedule 10 (partially in force)Protection of Freedoms Act 2012– law in force except:• s.4 (partially in force)• s.19 (partially in force)• s.39 (partially in force)• s.40 (partially in force)• s.41 (partially in force)• s.43–46 (partially in force)• s.46 (partially in force)• s.53 (not yet in force)• s.72 (partially in force)• s.73-74 (not yet in force)• s.75-76 (partially in force)• s.78 (partially in force)• s.115 (partially in force)• Schedule 1 (partially in force)• Schedule 3 (not yet in force)• Schedule 7 (partially in force)• Schedule 9 (partially in force)• Schedule 10 (partially in force)2012/2013 SessionCrime & Courts Act 2013 – law in force except:• s.15 (partially in force)• s.17 (partially in force)• s.20 (partially in force)• s.26 (partially in force)• s.34-40 (not yet in force)• s.41 (partially in force)• s.42 (partially in force)• s.44 (partially in force)• s.49 (partially in force)• s.50 (partially in force)• s.55 (partially in force)• s.56 (partially in force)• Schedule 8 (partially in force)• Schedule 13 (partially in force)• Schedule 15 (partially in force)• Schedule 16 (partially in force)• Schedule 20 (partially in force)• Schedule 23 (not yet in force)2013/2014 SessionAnti-social Behaviour, Crime & Policing Act 2014 – law in force except:• s.131 (partially in force)• s.133 (partially in force)• s.168 (not yet in force)• s.181 (partially in force)• Schedule 11 (partially in force)Immigration Act 2014 – law in force except:• s.20-31 (partially in force)• s.54 (partially in force)• s.73 (partially in force)• Schedule 3 (partially in force)• Schedule 9 (partially in force)2014/2015 SessionSerious Crime Act 2015 – law in force except:• s.15 (not yet in force)• s.24-36 (partially in force)• s.85 (partially in force)• Schedule 4 (partially in force)Modern Slavery Act 2015 – law in force except:• s.48 (partially in force)• s.50 (not yet in force)• s.57 (partially in force)• Schedule 2 (partially in force)2015/16 SessionImmigration Act 2016 - law in force except:• s.42 (not yet in force)• s.43 (partially in force)• s.44 (not yet in force)• s.68 (not yet in force)• s.74 (not yet in force)• Schedule 10 (partially in force)• Schedule 11 (partially in force)• Schedule 12 (not yet in force)• Schedule 13 (not yet in force)2016/17 SessionInvestigatory Powers Act 2016 - law in force except:• s.2 (partially in force)• s.11-12 (not yet in force)• s.14 (not yet in force)• s.61 (partially in force)• s.62-86 (not yet in force)• s.102 (partially in force)• s.106-107 (not yet in force)• s.108 (partially in force)• s.111 (partially in force)• s.115 (partially in force)• s.117 (partially in force)• s.123-124 (not yet in force)• s.125 (partially in force)• s.128 (partially in force)• s.129 (partially in force)• s.229 (partially in force)• s.231 (partially in force)• s.242 (not yet in force)• s.243 (partially in force)• s.248 (partially in force)• s.270 (partially in force)• s.271 (partially in force)• Schedule 2 (not yet in force)• Schedules 4-6 (not yet in force)• Schedule 8 (partially in force)• Schedule 9 (partially in force)• Schedule 10 (partially in force)Policing and Crime Act 2017 – law in force except:• S.9 (partially in force)• s.11 (partially in force)• s.13-24 (partially in force)• s.28 (partially in force)• s.29 (partially in force)• s.31 (partially in force)• s.34 (partially in force)• s.46-48 (partially in force)• s.51 (partially in force)• s.126 (partially in force)• s.132 (partially in force)• s.142 (partially in force)• s.159-161 (partially in force)• s.166 (partially in force)• Schedule 2 (partially in force)• Schedules 4-7 (partially in force)• Schedules 13-14 (partially in force)• Schedule 18 (partially in force)Criminal Finances Act 2017 – law in force except:• s.11 (partially in force)• s.22 (partially in force)• s.23 (partially in force)• s.25 (partially in force)• s.27 (partially in force)• s.31 (partially in force)• s.32 (partially in force)• s.34 (partially in force)• s.36 (partially in force)• Schedule 1 (partially in force)• Schedule 5 (partially in force)

Asia Bibi

lord pearson of rannoch: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have refused an application for asylum from Asia Bibi; and if so, why.

baroness williams of trafford: As the Prime Minister set out on 14 November, the release of Asia Bibi will be very welcome news to her family and to all those who have campaigned in Pakistan and around the world for her release. We welcome the assurances the Government of Pakistan has given on keeping her and her family safe and it is important that all countries seek to uphold the rule of law and afford security and protection for the rights of all citizens irrespective of faith or belief.It is a longstanding Government policy not to comment on individual cases. In accordance with our duty of confidentiality, we cannot confirm whether an asylum claim has been received or the outcome of such a request. Departing from this policy may put individuals and their family members in danger.

Asylum: Christianity

lord pearson of rannoch: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether the UK is a safe place to offer asylum to those being persecuted for their Christian faith.

baroness williams of trafford: We have a proud history of providing protection to those who need it, including those who face persecution in their country for their faith, belief or lack of belief.The UK is a safe, open and diverse country and has a long tradition of upholding individuals’ rights to practise all faiths or none. This is a key part of the UK’s values and will not change.

Refugees: Syria

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether unaccompanied Syrian refugee children now in continental Europe are eligible for the vulnerable person resettlement scheme; and if not, why not.

baroness williams of trafford: The Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme (VPRS) offers a safe and le-gal route to the UK, prioritising the most vulnerable refugees from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. This means those currently in Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and Egypt. The Vulnerable Children’s Resettlement Scheme (VCRS) resettles ‘at-risk’ refugee children and their families from the region.Resettlement is one part of the UK’s response to the refugee crisis and is complemented by the UK’s significant humanitarian aid programme and dip-lomatic efforts to end the Syrian conflict. We believe this approach is the best way to ensure that the UK’s help has the greatest impact for the majority of refugees who remain in the region and their host countries, whilst recognising that for some vulnerable people the only solution is to bring them to countries like the UK.In addition, the Government has committed to relocate 480 unaccompanied children from Europe to the UK under section 67 of the Immigration Act 2016. Over 220 have already been relocated to the UK and we are working closely with France, Greece and Italy to fill the remaining places as soon as possible

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Social Enterprises: Investment

lord mawson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the interest rates charged by social investment funds compared to those charged by high street banks.

lord mawson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment, if any, they have made of (1) the effectiveness of the administrative processes employed by social investment funds, and (2) how they compare to the processes used by high street banks.

lord mawson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the (1) benefits of social investment funds, and (2) evidence that the monies invested in them are used efficiently and effectively.

lord mawson: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they measure how much money from social investment funds is spent on the poorest communities; and if so, how.

lord ashton of hyde: There are a large number of social investment funds being delivered by many organisations in the financial services and philanthropic sectors. The government has made no such assessment across these varied funds.

Gambling: Children

the lord bishop of st albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many gambling premises were closed down following findings of underage gambling in each year from 2000.

lord ashton of hyde: Neither the government nor the Gambling Commission holds this data. Local authorities are responsible for licensing premises. Whilst Local Authorities are responsible for premises licences, if there are serious failures or widespread vulnerabilities in an operators’ policies or procedures to prevent underage gambling, the Gambling Commission may take formal regulatory action in addition to any action being taken on premises licences.

Technology: Companies

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the efforts of technology companies to improve the gender and racial diversity of their staff.

lord ashton of hyde: The UK Digital Strategy set out our commitment to enabling a more diverse digital workforce. As the digital revolution progresses, many more jobs will require digital skills and many more tech roles will be created, both in technology companies and in the general economy. We cannot afford for certain groups of people, including women and people from ethnic minority backgrounds, to be excluded from or unable to progress within these roles. While there is substantial progress that still needs to be made by technology companies to improve the gender and racial diversity of their staff, there are also significant industry-led initiatives aiming to solve the issue. Over 290 companies, from international tech giants right through to start-ups, SMEs and charities have already signed the Tech Talent Charter - an industry led initiative, supported by Government. The Charter gives organisations tangible actions and principles they can adopt to change their hiring and retention practices to become more gender-diverse and commits signatories to measuring the diversity profile of their UK employees and to share this data for (anonymous) collective publication in an annual report. There are also other industry-led programmes doing valuable and innovative work to help more women, ethnic minorities and other under-represented groups into tech, such as the #SheMeansBusiness initiative (by Facebook in collaboration with Enterprise Nation and FSB); the FDM Getting Back to Business programme; Fujitsu UK’s work on developing diverse role models within their workforce, and Backstage Capital, which is committed to investing in start-ups with diverse founders. We are also engaging with the work of organisations such as UK Black Tech and other organisations active in improving ethnic diversity in tech, and have recently convened an industry round table on inclusive technology in partnership with the Royal Academy of Engineers. Under new Government legislation over 10,000 employers reported their gender pay gaps this year. We are now working with employers to help them understand their gender pay gaps, and support them to put plans in place to tackle gaps. Government is also currently consulting on the Ethnic Pay Gap and consultation responses will inform future government policy on ethnicity pay reporting.

The Senior Deputy Speaker

House of Lords: Catering

lord storey: To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker whether House of Lords catering services are subject to food hygiene inspections by Westminster Health Authority; and if so, (1) what Food Hygiene Rating each Lords catering outlet achieved at their most recent inspection, and (2) whether outlets are required to display a Food Hygiene Rating Sticker.

lord laming: The Senior Deputy Speaker has asked me, as Chairman of the Services Committee, to respond on his behalf.As registered food premises, the House of Lords catering facilities are subject to inspections from Westminster City Council (WCC). At the last inspection in November 2017, the Environmental Health Officer from WCC Food Safety Team awarded the highest rating of 5 for all House of Lords catering outlets in the Palace of Westminster; Millbank House facilities were inspected in November 2016 and also received a 5 rating. It is a recommendation but not a legal requirement to display the food hygiene rating sticker. The House of Lords rating stickers are currently displayed in the River Restaurant and Millbank House Cafeteria.